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Tree Trimming in Fair Play

A good drive from Camino, Fair Play is still covered. Ring (530) 248-6054. Maybe it's the oak by the tasting shed, or fruit trees near the house. Either way, a nearby pro can stop by.

The place

Mining, farming, then wine

Fair Play lies 4.5 miles northeast of Aukum, up at 2,329 feet, says Wikipedia. Miners worked the area in the 1850s, and farmers took over by the 1880s. The post office stayed open from 1860 until 1944.

Today the draw is wine. The Fair Play AVA began in 2001, and Wikipedia credits it with turning the area into a getaway with over 20 properties: small inns, vineyards and wineries.

The Fair Play Cemetery still takes visitors and burials.

Wine country trees

Trees next to vines

Vineyards and orchards share some rules. Fire blight and wood rot don't care about the fence line. And pruning wounds are open doors.

The UC wood decay guide says most decay fungi get into trees through wounds caused by broken limbs or poor pruning. So a clean cut, made at the right time, helps long after the pro drives away.

The International Society of Arboriculture has a simple test. It says no branch should be removed without a reason. Ask your pro for the reason behind each cut. Good ones have answers.

Heat and shade

Shade trees on hot days

Fair Play is lower than Camino, so summer afternoons run warm. That's when oak limbs can fail. UC says summer branch drop often happens on hot, calm days. The broken limbs are often horizontal and 3-12 feet from the trunk.

Think about where people sit. A tasting table, a swing or a parked car under a flat oak limb is worth a call. UC says large horizontal limbs over a walkway or driveway should be removed.

Evergreen oaks get their pruning in summer, while deciduous ones wait for winter. That is the UC Master Gardener oak rule. If the dry season has begun, a summer job may fit an evergreen oak well.

Mistletoe is another thing to watch for in the older oaks. UC says the clumps can grow up to 2 feet across and are easy to see in winter. A few are no big deal. A heavy load on one old limb is worth a pro's opinion before the next hot spell.

Prices

What it costs

Costs track tree size. Fixr says a small tree of 10-20 feet runs $75-$300, and a medium one of 20-30 feet runs $150-$450. For an oak, Fixr says $175-$1,500. Thumbtack's average range is $402-$1,158.

Long driveways and rough ground add time. A pro who has to haul brush far will say so in the quote.

Busy weekends

Before the visitors come

If guests walk, park or sit under your trees, check them before the busy weekends. Look for dead limbs, cracks and long flat branches over seating. Fix what you can early, so you are not hiring a pro the week of an event.

A short list works well: which trees, which problem, which month. Share it when you call. Pros can book up ahead of a busy season, and a clear request is easier to schedule.

Close by

Nearby

Close by are Somerset, Grizzly Flats and El Dorado. See the calendar, or go back home.